Early this year it was now allowed for females to be able to have any role in the military and the topic has now risen should females be forced to sign up for the draft like men? I am an egalitarian and believe everyone is equal and with feminist supporting equal rights for women I believe that they should be forced to register for the draft.

PRO: I believe that [female U.S citizens aged 18 - 25] should be forced to register for the draft.

This is the contention that I determined from your opening statement, is this determination acceptable?

Your challenge is accepted, although if my above assumption is incorrect, I ask that you re-define your contention.

My Response (CON): I would agree in an egalitarian approach to conscription (the draft) if males and females shared a very similar representation in the U.S military, but that's simply not the case. According to militaryonesource.mil, in 2014, females comprised 15.1% of the Department of Defence Active Duty Force; knowing this, women cannot be expected to suddenly be forced into the draft, a program run for over 60 years.

That assumption is correct. I apologize I am newer to this site so I am still getting used to the correct way to format these debates.

And yes I understand that women are under-represented in the military, but like men if we had a war that just came out of nowhere, should they be forced to register for the draft like all men do when they turn 18?

For decades, women have been protesting and fighting to gain equal rights in all aspects of life whether it be in government, at work, in the family home, and in military. And as of Last year, as you will see that New York Times states, the government has called for full, integration of women, meaning now women can have any combat role in the military they want, being just a solider, to lieutenant, to a general, etc... (http://www.nytimes.com...). And with this comes a huge step to the Women's Right Movement, but now since they this right to be able to join the military and have any job there they want, shouldn't they have the responsibility to have to register for the draft?

Also the draft is a serious thing when it comes up, as well as the consequences of avoiding it. For men who avoid the draft they can face thousand of dollar fines, the can be imprisoned, or later in their life they can be refused for financial help (http://www.newhistorian.com...). With this, men who refused to sign up for the draft lose their American privilege of voting and can not become part of The U.S. government. So where is the line for equality there? Men who refused to sign up or avoid the draft get punished, but women get a free pass because it would be inconvenient for them?

And in the U.S. about 50.7% of the population are women so a little bit over half according to a survey in 2013. (http://statisticstimes.com...) [U.S. is number 57]. So that means about 49.3% of the population is men. Meaning you are expecting only about half the population to risk their life (if the time arises) for a war they may or may not believe in, while women get a free pass just because.

Lastly with women struggling for equality for so long, where now they can run to be President of the United States, where we can have one serving on our Supreme Court, where they can hold high positions in the military, where they can vote for whoever they believe in, and much more. But if you decide to give women equal rights in many regards, shouldn't they have equal responsibility? You cannot just pick in just which one you want because at that part its not equality it's supremacy.

I am an African American male and the reason I bring this up is because I want to give a scenario. Well in the past we all know African Americans were being discriminated and were also under-represented in the military. Now how would it look like if I said this, "I want to have all the rights of white people where I can vote, join and become anything I want in the military, join government, etc... but I don't want to have to sign for the draft, or work on trials, or pay taxes because in the past I didn't have to do it"

In situations like the one above would be a similar showing where one chooses rights and responsibility and after reading it does it sound like equality or supremacy?

Firstly, I'd like to commend you, my opponent, for creating a response with higher emphasis on the formatting of your argument, it was much more pleasurable read than round 2 (no disrespect intended).

Your series of points were impressive, it's clear that there is an issue with feminist movements' goals in certain protests, I believe. Is that agreeable? I think there needs to be a line drawn as to how far equality should apply with respect to the issue you and I are talking about. We are discussing women in war (and you understand how that is the case).

My question is therefore this, should women be considered equal in terms of combat during war? In my opinion, no. It is logical to recognize just how far females have come in terms of their respective rights, (being President of the United States, serving in supreme court etc.), however in a time of war, it seems more logical to have the strongest and fittest members fighting in combat, regardless of gender. But, all members of the human race should know that men are physically stronger and fitter than women, generally, obviously there are exceptions to this rule. According to livescience.com [I'm not sure how to input clickable links]; "Men, are, in general, more muscular than women. Women are just over half as strong as men in their upper bodies, and about two-thirds as strong in their lower bodies." I believe that it is these physical attributes which are most important in times of combat.

Hence, the reason why women should not be forced to register for the draft: because they are generally not as physically capable. This is my logical view with no misogynistic undertones, I assure you. The draft should be a choice for U.S women aged 18-25.

I want to tell my opponent that I found no disrespect in his statement and I understand the case is women in war.

But the fact that you brought up that women are not as strong as men raises a couple comments.

1. In society there are men who aren't physically strong who want to become doctors, lawyers, musicians, or teachers and still will have to sign up for the draft. When you join the military you aren't forced to just go out and serve right away, you go through boot camp which makes you get into shape and helps you be able to withstand some of the physical hardships during war. Plus if a weaker guy could go through the boot camp and become stronger and withstand what war brings then why couldn't a woman do the same?

2. Also even if is common knowledge, uncommon knowledge, fake or true knowledge that men are stronger, there are women who don't believe in this notion and try to prove men wrong of this "fact". Plus there have been different studies on who tolerates pain better women or men and different studies show different result (some are biased or other still don't have absolute answers). But my point here is that in some studies there have been saying that women tolerate pain better than men do. And in a war wouldn't that be an important aspect where if someone gets injured you would want them to stay calm rather than becoming crazed and hyperactive, worrying and scaring the other soldiers?

3. War isn't only about physical strength. Yes it is an important aspect but you have to be emotionally and mentally strong, you have to be willing to listen to orders, you have to be willing to work as a team, you have to be able to solve problems with people other than letting them get the best of you. This is important to remember.

4. If women shouldn't have to register to draft, should they be able to vote? The big thing about signing up for the draft for men is than if you don't do it, then you lose you opportunity to vote. Now in a sense that is a sexist policy that goes along with the draft how one gender has to do sometime or they can't receive something but the other gets a free pass because they are "weak". How does that make sense in those regards? That like going to someone and telling them "you can go ahead and paycheck, but you have to do this, this, and that before you do and if you don't you don't get a paycheck this week."

5. Back too a previous notion you stated that girls are weaker than guys and let's say that, that fact is true does that mean every guy who is weaker than a girl shouldn't have to register for the draft? Or if you are even weaker then the average guy should you have to sign up for the draft? Once you put strength as the main factor of your argument it being up many more. Because according to you only the strongest men should go to war so if you are not the strongest then why should you have to sign up?

6. Lastly I see it as this. Equality can become dual sided where you can have all the rights and privileges you want, we will give you equal representation, we will help you with this, and much more to make sure everything is equal in life. But then when it comes to the responsibility that comes along with it they can say no?